This invention relates in general to a technique for editing information recorded on a first magnetic tape and for recording the edited segments on a second magnetic tape.
Video information recorded on magnetic tape frequently has segments which are of less interest for playback than other segments. Thus, for example, in the recording of broadcast movies, commercials are frequently interspersed between segments of the movie. When playing back the recorded movie, it may be desirable to skip the commercials so that the continuity of story line or action may be shown uninterrupted. Similarly, when a video camera is used to record sequences on magnetic tape, it may be desirable to edit the sequences to eliminate showing out of focus or uninteresting scenes. It may also be desirable to rearrange the sequences in an order other than the order in which they were recorded on the tape.
It is possible, of course, to edit the video information on one magnetic tape for recording on a second tape, by manually controlling first and second video tape recorders. However, this technique is cumbersome, time consuming and not readily adaptable to recording sequences out of order on the second tape. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,940, issued July 1, 1980, for "VARIABLE FORMAT TAPE REPLAY SYSTEM", by D. G. Prysby et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,785, issued July 1, 1980, for "TAPE REPLAY SYSTEM", by W. D. Huber et al, there is disclosed a tape playback system including a controller in which tape segments on a recorded tape may be selectively designated for replay in any order regardless of the order of recording on the tape. In the disclosed system, the operator views the recorded material on a monitor and notes the start and end addresses of tape segments to be replayed. When all of the tape segments have been noted, the operator must enter the start and end addresses by way of a keyboard into memory in the controller, and also an identification number for the segment. Upon replay, the controller automatically replays the designated segments in the selected order. This system is both inconvenient and time consuming in that it requires the operator to write down the start and end addresses of selected tape segments for replay and then to manually enter these addresses into memory in the controller. U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,644, issued Sept. 23, 1980 for "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A TAPE PLAYER RECORDER FOR RETRIEVING AND PLAYING PRERECORDED INFORMATION", by D. E. Lewis et al, discloses a similar system wherein the start and end address of selected segments are automatically read into memory by the actuation of a number button. Thereafter, the addresses of selected tape segments and the order of playback is recorded on the beginning of the tape so that the tape cassette may be removed. When the cassette is re-inserted, the contents of the recorded addresses may be retrieved. This system is disadvantageous because a separate list of the subject matter of the recorded segments designated for playback must be provided to an operator. Moreover, the operator has no visual reference as to the subject matter of the tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,291, for "DIGITAL VIDEO PROCESSOR" issued Aug. 25, 1981, by R. J. Taylor et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,776, for "DIGITAL STILL PICTURE STORAGE SYSTEM WITH SIZE CHANGE FACILITY" issued Nov. 24, 1981, by R. J. Taylor et al, disclose a digital system for storing and processing still pictures in a digital format. The system includes a disc or tape which stores a plurality of digital still pictures which are compressible for storing in a reduced format. A matrix of miniature pictures may be stored in a frame store and displayed together on a television screen. The pictures may be identified with a number or code, and by selecting a sequence of numbers, the user can put together a desired sequence of pictures. A light pen may be used to make this selection. The still pictures may be freeze frames of clips from a video tape. Although the digital system described in these patents may be usable for the purposes for which it was intended, it is expensive and complex and not readily adaptable for use as a low cost consumer editor.
There is thus a need for a simple, low cost, easy to use consumer editor for facilitating the copying of edited segments from one tape onto a second tape in an order other than the order in which they were recorded.